Home...

I am now safely "home" in Cape Town, South Africa. I disembarked the M/V Africa Mercy last Monday, 8th December, after 13 magical months onboard. A large group of friends saw me off on the dock and one good friend, Theo Biney of Ghana, even jumped in front of the vehicle to try and push it back, trying to keep me from leaving! But alas, I had a plane to catch and Rodrigo Silva, a good friend, drove me onwards to the airport.

My flights on both Kenya Airways (Monrovia to Nairobi via Accra and then Nairobi to Johannesburg) and the domestic One Time flight (Jo'burg to Cape Town) were uneventful. No turbulence whatsoever. And before I knew it, the One Time plane was on final approach into Cape Town International Airport, with the majestic Table Mountain on our right.

All my luggage made it though fine-o (yay!) and out stepped a tired, emotional and shell-shocked Murray. I was finally home. 13 months had ended like that. And it hit me.

Being home presents a small small dilemma to me: in that I am home but am also away from home. Where is my home? When I was on the ship (and no one can disagree with this) I was staunchly patriotic, referring to Cape Town as my wonderful home and being proud of it. Now I'm not so sure. In my mind I actually think it's the other way round: the Africa Mercy was my home. Cape Town is now my home away from home. And one day, if it is God's will for my life, I'll be back home on the Africa Mercy. We'll see how and where this adventure continues!